The present invention relates to a solar ray collector and, more particularly, to a solar ray collector which is suitable for use with a spacecraft.
There has been proposed in various forms a system in which lenses or the like converge solar radiation into light conducting members so that the solar radiation is transmitted to a desired location to serve as a light source such as for lighting or culture of chlorella.
In parallel with the development in space engineering, the expected duration of stay of astronauts and others in the space is growing longer and longer. One of critical conditions for such a long stay in the space is the supply of oxygen and food in a spacecraft. While such may be implemented by loading a spacecraft with oxygen cylinders and food before launching it, the ever increasing number of crews and time of their stay in the space will soon come to require oxygen cylinders and fresh food more than a spacecraft can carry. It is therefore required to furnish a space craft with some implementation for the self-supply of oxygen and fresh food within the spacecraft. The most effective energy source available in the space is, as a matter of course, solar radiation. The prior art solar collection and delivery system previously described, although effective on the earth, are not suitable for use in the space.